The oxidised β-glucan molecules altered their swelling power and increased the bile acid-binding capacities of the fibre, which suggests an increased efficiency in cholesterol blood reduction. However, the β-glucan became more susceptible to chemical digestion, which degrades fibre and consequently alters its biological

properties. The oxidative treatment decreased the hardness, adhesiveness and gumminess of the gel, as well as the viscosity of the gel. More studies are necessary to determine the effect of the oxidative treatment of β-glucan on its technological properties, such as its stability and functionality in food products, and to conduct in-vivo studies on its biological properties. The authors are

grateful to Cerealle Indústria e Comércio de Cereais Ltda for supplying CHIR-99021 nmr Tanespimycin solubility dmso the oat bran and to the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for financial support. “
“Organic methods of food production have gained increased public interest over the past two decades, mainly in the western world. Organic and conventional dairy productions differ in feeding regimens, use of antibiotics, chemotherapeutic treatments, and handling of the animals (Collomb et al., 2008). Organic milk is produced in an agro-system under more constrained conditions in which the use of oxyclozanide synthetic livestock additives or other artificial inputs, as well as genetically modified organisms, are forbidden. This production relies on ecological practices that prohibit the use of antibiotics, hormones and any synthetic chemical

fertilizers (Toledo, Andrén, & Bjorck, 2002). Milk is an excellent source of lactose, dairy proteins such as caseins and whey proteins and calcium and other minerals and trace elements. According to Ellis et al. (2006) there is little or no difference between organic and conventional milk samples when considering their carbohydrate, protein and mineral contents. Conversely, significantly higher amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), conjugated linoleic (CLA) and n−3 fatty acids are found in organic milk ( Collomb et al., 2008). This is also confirmed by Butler, Stergiadis, Seal, Eyre, and Leifert (2011), who indicated that fatty acid profile and antioxidant content of milk are influenced by management (organic or conventional), season and brands. The distribution of these fatty acids in milk is important as it confers different characteristics to the milk ( Ekinci, Okur, Ertekin, & Guzel-Seydim, 2008). Among the unsaturated fatty acids, the relative concentrations of three main long chain fatty acids (LCFA) differed according to the kind of milk.